1. Field
The present invention relates to fiber optic distribution systems and particularly to fiber distribution hubs used in fiber optic distribution systems.
2. Background
One type of fiber optic distribution system is a point-to-multipoint system. In point-to-multipoint systems, a single optical fiber from a service provider's central office services multiple optical network units at the end-user locations, for example, residences, apartments, or businesses. For example, a single optical fiber can service one hundred and twenty eight end users. Optical components such as switches and routers in active optical networks, unpowered optical splitters in passive optical networks (PONs), and fiber optic cables distribute the optical signals between the service provider's location and the end users. Fiber distribution hubs (FDHs) house these optical components.
Because each feeder fiber from a service provider's central office can be optically coupled to hundreds of outgoing distribution fibers, FDHs often have a high density of fiber optic cables and a large quantity of optical components to distribute the signal from the optical signal from the feeder cable to the fibers of the distribution cable. For example, in a PON, an FDH may include several splicing cassettes that optically couple a feeder cable with optical splitters; multiple splitters; and multiple adapters for optically coupling the splitters to the distribution cable.
Accordingly, there is a need for an FDH that arranges these optical components and fiber optic cables in a manner that the degradation of the transmitted optical signals is minimized. There is also a need for an FDH that provides easy access to all of the enclosed optical components and fiber optic cables to allow for replacement or maintenance.